Ten Years
by Talk Out Loud
Summary: The Marauders talk of their future the night before they leave for their last Christmas holiday at Hogwarts.


The Shack was freezing cold. The walls were marred with marks from the past six-an-a-half years. The half-moon light shone through the window and some of the larger cuts. The air was thick with smoke from the joints that James sneaked into the castle after their last trip to Hogsmeade. Each of their voices was thick with laughter and booze and pot and Marauderdom.

"Mates," James began, "Where do you think we'll be in ten years?"

Sirius and Peter looked at James as though he just asked what color the insides of a buffalo's lungs were, though Remus knew it was a perfectly logical question--given the situation. James usually never got deep enough for wistful musing about the future, but this was James after two hours of sitting a pot-smoke filled room with a bit more fire whiskey in him than usual. ("_Special occasion_," Sirius had said with a wink as he set a few extra bottles on a small table.)

"Prongs, you feeling okay?" Peter asked cautiously.

"Yes, you prat, just answer the question. Pads, you go first."

"Why don't you? You brought it up, there must be something on your mind." said Sirius, taking a swig from a deep brown bottle.

"Oh, fine. Ten years. I see myself ma--"

"If he says 'Married to Lily Evans with fifteen hundred children,' I'm going to have to hurt him. Badly." Sirius stage whispered to Remus.

Remus and Peter tried to stifle their laughs as much as possible.

"I wasn't going to say that!" James said, put off. "What I was going to say, before I was so rudely interrupted, I see myself managing a professional Quidditch team. Because obviously by then I'll have retired, along with my number, and have my broom hanging in the Quidditch Hall of Fame."

"Obviously." Sirius, Remus, and Peter said in practiced unison.

"And then marry Lily Evans and have four freckly, green-eyed children," James finished quickly.

"I KNEW IT," Sirius pointed a drunken finger at James.

"DID NOT, YOU SAID FIFTEEN HUNDRED. I ONLY SAID FOUR. BIG DIFFERENCE."

"Quit your bitching," Peter hiccupped. "you two. It's my," hiccup, "turn!"

"I bet it has to do with food," Sirius said.

"And lots of it," James poked at Peter's stomach.

Peter made a face, but continued. "I'm going to own my own restaurant." Hiccup. "A magical one. The napkins will fold themselves, the lobsters in the tank out front will sing, and the plates will float. It'll be awesome." Hiccup.

Remus smiled kindly at Peter. He'd obviously been dreaming about it a while, and really didn't deserve for Sirius and James to make fun of him. Even though they joked around with almost everyone like that, it affected Peter differently, and sometimes Remus noticed it. On rarer occasions, Remus thinks Sirius and James do, too. "Good for you, Wormtail."

Sirius threw a pillow which landed smack dab in the middle of Remus' face.

"Stop being such a pouf for a bit, I'm going to tell mine." Sirius smirked.

"I can only _imagine _what sort of wild idea you've come up with."

"It's not wild! It's perfectly practical. And it's not an idea! It's my plan for my future. My _future_, Moony. Do you really think I'd be so irresponsible about something like that?"

Remus squinted his eyes at Sirius and tried his hardest to control the smile that threatened to break across his face and the way his stomach wanted to fly up into his throat. "Oh, just go for it already."

"I, Sirius Orion Black, will become the resident king of a shady, risqué underground club. I will get all the free booze and smokes I want, and all the regulars will be my humble servants. I will be worshiped as a god."

James, Remus and Peter looked at Sirius with their jaws open.

"I'm also going to manage the largest magical porn shop this side of the Thames, of course."

James quirked up an eyebrow for a moment and then threw his head back in laughter, which infected the rest of the boys.

Sirius took a drag from his cigarette as his laughter died down. Smoke flowed from Sirius' mouth the same way lava flows from a volcano. Fast, at first, then slowly as it dispersed in the cool air. His lips began to move in a strange way. Remus thinks he hears his name, distantly. He also thinks he hears Peter hiccup again. The lips move again and he connects it with the voice.

"Moony,"

Remus shakes his head slightly, "What?"

"Your turn, mate."

"Right."

"Librarian," Peter said.

"Nah. A writer," said James.

Sirius shook his head. "Nope. A professor." he said confidently. He smiled a small smile at Remus. The very smile that Remus is pretty certain Sirius saves just for him.


End file.
